JOANNE GRAF FIELD

Florida State University is home to one of the premier softball complexes in the nation. JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex is state-of-the art in every facet and provides Florida State softball players with an all-inclusive complex that includes locker rooms, meeting rooms and one of the best playing surfaces anywhere in the country. JoAnne Graf Field has hosted NCAA Regionals in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2015. The Noles hosted their first NCAA Super Regional in 2014.
Known as one of NCAA softball’s best venues, JoAnne Graf Field is a modernized field of play that caters quite well to student-athletes, coaches, fans and other spectators. Since opening in 1999, Florida State has played to the venue’s home-field advantage. The Seminoles have recorded 436 victories in their 16 years at JoAnne Graf Field. The complex was also featured in Athletic Business Magazine's 2002 Architectural Showcase.

An eye-catching addition to the complex was completed in 2011 when a new indoor batting facility was constructed. The facility, which was awarded the 2011 AIA Tallahassee Chapter Design Achievement Honor Award, is endorsed for its combination of external features, comfortable nature and multiple purposes within the sport of softball. Approaching nearly 12,000 square feet, the brand-new feature is unique and aesthetically pleasing. It is a two-story facility that includes a sizeable bullpen, hitting nets and a wide area on the top floor for stretching and other softball activities. The near million dollar facility that was spear-headed by architects Lewis + Whitlock is a beacon for future player development while providing a safe haven from inclement weather.
Another recent addition to the field was the installation of new outfield grass and a redesign of the clay cutout around home plate during the summer of 2015. Improvements to every aspect of the complex are constantly developing as Florida State softball strives to keep itself among the elite in terms of its facilities and amenities.

Florida State's dream of a new, state-of-the-art softball complex became reality when ground was broken in a ceremony in the spring of 1998. Construction workers worked continuously to complete the facility, which also houses the Seminole soccer stadium. The result was the creation of one of the nation's premier collegiate softball and soccer facilities. The complex, which was completed in the spring of 1999, includes ticket and concessions buildings and spacious press boxes with radio/television booths. The two-level Mary Ann Stiles & Barry Smith Team Building features a reception area, softball and soccer coaches offices, which overlook their respective stadiums, a combined workroom, large team and coaches locker rooms, training and equipment rooms as well as large meeting rooms.

The Florida State Soccer / Softball Complex was "officially" opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, April 17 1999. The event, which was held in conjunction with Florida State's 30th Anniversary of Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Spring Celebration, drew approximately 150 spectators, including University dignitaries and athletics department personnel. Several former Florida State student-athletes and staff also returned for the monumental event.

Two major changes were made to the complex in the mid 2000s. On April 2, 2005, former university president Dr. T.K. Wetherell and former Athletics Director, Dave Hart, officially renamed the softball stadium "JoAnne Graf Field at the Seminole Softball Complex." She joined Bob Heck at Georgia State as the only two active softball coaches with fields named after them. It was only fitting that one day later Graf crossed the 1,300-win plateau with a 5-2 triumph over Virginia Tech. In the fall of 2006, the stadium got a facelift as a Florida State unveiled a brand new video scoreboard for the 2007 season. The board uses the same technology that is used at most outdoor professional stadiums. The ProStar is capable of displaying video clips, live video, animation, player headshots, graphics and statistics in 4.3 trillion colors.

The team building underwent a multi-million dollar renovation to the second floor which began in October 2008. The expansion to the second floor now includes new offices, a team meeting room, tradition space for both softball and soccer and a player lounge.

The Seminole Softball Complex, which is adjacent to the FSU Soccer Complex, is located between Dick Howser Baseball Stadium and Mike Long Track on Spirit Way. The facility can be accessed from both Spirit Way and Stadium Drive.